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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27723230">Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenhighways/pseuds/brokenhighways'>brokenhighways</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hit the Floor (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Character Study, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:01:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>619</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27723230</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenhighways/pseuds/brokenhighways</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zero trades in throwing basketballs for a different kind of ball game altogether and suddenly, it's two am, Jude's sleeping and he's dangerously close to staying over.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jude Kinkade/Zero | Gideon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>114</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Zude</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've come to appreciate little drabble (ficlet?) sized stories. Particularly because sometimes I have a scene in mind and no story for them to go in, lol! </p>
<p>I'm still working on a longer story (it's in third draft stage and will probably be posted next year), but I may post more of these shorter fics now and then.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It starts with a gruelling practise session. Zero trades in throwing basketballs for a different kind of ball game altogether and suddenly, it's two am, Jude's sleeping and he's dangerously close to </span>
  <em>
    <span>staying over</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At Jude's apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It's not the end of the world, but it's a strict violation of his </span>
  <em>
    <span>don't get attached</span>
  </em>
  <span> policy and rule number one is 'never stay over'.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fatigue grips Zero's muscles, begging him to stay here and recuperate, but his fear of attachment propels him forward. He sits up and runs a hand through his hair, taking a breath when he sees the trail of clothes they left on the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jude's apartment is cool, with a faint breeze drifting through the window and dancing against his skin like a siren's call. Maybe that's what this thing with Jude is, some messed up spell that's got him acting crazy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kissing Jude </span>
  <em>
    <span>once</span>
  </em>
  <span> is one thing, but now they're three months in and he hasn't stopped. He hasn't run away or called any of his usual hookups. He hasn't so much as looked at anyone beyond the typical flirting he does to ensure people never see the real him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There's always a facade, always a charade, characters upon characters, words he doesn't mean and a dazzling smile drizzled over like a damn cherry on top.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He's always acting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Except for now. Here. With Jude. This is so far beyond make-believe that he doesn't know whether to laugh, cry or curl up with Jude and accept that this means something to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a breath, he flips the covers open and starts to slide out when Jude stirs and rolls over slowly. His eyes remain closed, but Zero wonders how long he's been awake. Quietly assessing Zero's movements and wondering when he's going to bail.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jude's never asked him to stay over before, at least not verbally. It's usually in his eyes. The way they dim when Zero's shrugging his jeans back on and making small talk about random shit neither of them cares about.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yesterday it was the new artwork in the lobby area of Jude's complex, a weird abstract painting Zero hated instinctively. Today it's the inane ramblings of his mind. What if someone sees him driving back to his condo? Or, worse, they think he's visiting more escorts? What if he falls asleep </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span> and one of Jude's neighbours sees him?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heck, what if they get caught?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What time is it?" Jude's voice is barely a whisper and yet it echoes in the walls of Zero's heart, bouncing off each chamber like it belongs there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's late."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jude cranks an eye open and rolls back over, leaving Zero to trace the moles on his back. "Save your freakout for the morning and get back in here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nervous laughter bubbles in Zero's chest because it's crazy. Staying over and dealing with what comes his way in the morning is </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He should be running for the hills. Hell, he should be in his own bed tossing and turning because his mattress doesn't feel right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He should be doing a lot of things, but all he </span>
  <em>
    <span>wants</span>
  </em>
  <span> to do is stay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For once he wants to stay, wants to feel like he's not alone for one night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He climbs back into the bed and drapes the covers over his lower half, lying on his back and looking up at the ceiling. Before he can move onto phase two of his freakout, Jude rolls over and rests his head on Zero's chest. Zero slowly brings his arm around, pulling Jude closer to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It should feel wrong. Suffocating. Too intimate. Scary. Like a huge mistake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It doesn't.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, it feels a lot like </span>
  <em>
    <span>home</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! ❤</p></blockquote></div></div>
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